The invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a conveyor of an article sorting machine. It also relates to a method for using such an apparatus and to any sorting machine equipped with such an apparatus.
Article sorting machines are generally constituted by a conveyor which carries the articles to be sorted from the intake station or stations to the sorting or so-called "discharge" stations. When the articles are of a uniform nature, uniformly positioned and carry an automatically readable code, the articles can be individually gripped and presented in an automatic mechanical manner. When this is not the case, an operator must manually carry out the aforementioned operations. In both cases, it is also necessary to place the articles on the conveyor, this problem being inadequately solved in the present state of the art. Thus, either this operation is carried out automatically with a serious risk of error or it is carried out manually and the operator must devote a large part of his or her time and attention to seeking out the available locations and then to correctly placing the articles in these locations.